


The Frail and The Fault

by writingsofa_hobbit



Category: The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-07
Updated: 2016-12-07
Packaged: 2018-09-07 00:48:57
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,904
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8776519
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/writingsofa_hobbit/pseuds/writingsofa_hobbit
Summary: The reader, an elleth from Lothlorien, arrives in Imladris in order to sing for Lord Elrond and his people during the feast of starlight. Elrond refuses to touch the reader, therefore leading her to believe she is repulsive. Elrond proves this assumption false.





	

As the day of the Feast of Starlight approached at a rapid pace, the stars seemed to grow ever more abundant in the inky oblivion that resided over head when the sun gave way to the limited reign of the moon. I had traveled to the House of Elrond, Imladris, from my humble household in Lothlorien. Lord Elrond himself had sent for me, seeing as my adroit ballads were well known and sought after, despite my mere age of 3,550 years. Yes, I wasn’t the youngest elleth, but I was definitely not the oldest either. The majority of my vast number of hosts were older than I by thrice. I had been told many times over that I seemed older upon performing than I appeared when there was a vacancy of burlesques, and Lord Elrond himself had been no different.

The gracious elf lord was ever polite to me, though, and had bestowed upon me the comforts of a warm bed and his aid, should I ever need it. But I had not failed to realize that he had yet to make any sort of physical contact with me. I wasn’t begging, nor presuming, any extremity, but a single brush of fingers while handing an object off would satisfy me. The ellon’s behavior was too definite for the absence to be a coincidence.

Perhaps, it was the age difference between our two beings or, by chance, a mild revulsion that caused Lord Elrond’s actions. My mind still opposed itself, again, as I considered my many encounters with Lord Elrond over the duration of my stay.

Each encounter was graced with the illumination of the ellon’s grey orbs, ones that held the intensity of an oncoming tempest, and his thin lips instantly pulled into a smile, no matter the position he was in at that given moment. When we conversed upon greeting one another while in the grandeur of Imladris’s halls, he discarded his placid, immaculate stature and replaced it with one of genuine interest. I had heard tales of multiple beings’ encounters with Lord Elrond and none corresponded in the slightest with my own experiences.

All these thoughts battled within my mind, causing my stomach to turn in self-consciousness as I made my way urgently to Elrond’s study in search of the location of unused harp strings. During a previous practice, one of mine snapped and left me in dire need as a consequence of the untimely predicament.

“My lord,” I called cautiously. “Are you in there?” My inquiry was accompanied by a soft rap upon the warm, chestnut shaded wood of the door. The wait was short lived as Elrond opened the door, handsomely clad in mulberry and wine hued robes, hair intricately woven through a glinting, silver circlet that rested just above his brow. Vilya, his ring, ensnared one nimble finger and brown leather boots climbed a small feat before ending abruptly above his knee. The paraphernalia was quite stunning, the sight even rendering me speechless for a meager moment. 

“Lady Y/N,” Elrond’s rich voice chimed, a hint of mirth in his tone. “What was so troublesome that you’ve come to me at such a late hour?”

“Well,” I began, nervously shifting my harp so it laid more securely in my grasp. “I was tuning earlier in preparation for the feast and one of my strings was fractured and now I find myself in need of another instrument or replacement twine. I was hoping you might know where such items are kept.”

“That is a grave matter indeed,” Elrond mused, all jollity departed from his words. “Yes, I know the location of what you seek. I will accompany you there, seeing as all but ourselves slumbers peaceably.” With this, Elrond closed the door with a soft click behind him as he stepped over the threshold with a strong sternness, robes swinging elegantly in response to his brisk movements.

He almost offered me his arm before awkwardly bringing his hand up to smooth back already pristine tendrils of raven hair, a falsification that left me slightly wounded. It shouldn’t have, but in my stay I had fallen for the ellon. I had yet to find another with whom I could entrust my ardent devotion, a state which left me emotionally unguarded and sensitive when it came to matters such as my current happenings. But despite my current welfare, I pushed any negative thoughts from my mind and focused on more practical things, such as repairing my harp to its original glory.

Elrond’s guidance lead me down a particular lantern lit corridor that ended in a lofty, amphitheater type room of which held numerous instruments, the amber light washing pages upon pages of compositions that were scattered about in its glow. But the view that was visible through the elongated spaces in the walls was what really piqued my enthusiasm. I could see moon doused leaves that surrounded the many plots of assorted flora, each plot containing a different colored array than the adjacent gardens. As I admired the celestial landscaping, Lord Elrond inspected a few orderly piles before gingerly plucking an item from one and returning to me with a small box of particular sized strings.

“Allow me,” He murmured, frosted sterling irises gazing deeply into my own. I placed the harp prudently in Elrond’s gentle grasp, mentally taking note of the care he took in not touching me.

With deft fingers, the ellon mended the absent note as a healer would a patient, with a sincere tenderness. All the while, I wandered to the railing that lined the tall openings and swooned at the beauty of Imaldris. The thundering of cascading waterfalls in the distance, the incredible details that were etched into every inch of the architecture all the while my mind fathomed the immense amount of time taken to accomplish such feats.

When the silence became uncomfortable, I whirled around only to gasp as I almost collided with the lord of Imladris, my instrument clattering to the ground and an ample supply of apologies spilling from Elrond’s lips.

“I’m so terribly sorry,” the high elf stammered as we both bent to retrieve the fallen lyre. Our foreheads collided with a sickening crack, the quick pain commanding our hands to fly to our injuries as we both fell heavily to the marble flooring.

“Ouch,” I exclaimed while the same phrase cracked profusely through his astonished lips. “F-forgive me,” Elrond spluttered, any trace of his previous sobriety evaporating into nothingness. “I think my farewell has been overdue.”

The ellon scrambled to his feet, helplessly fleeing from the awkward situation I had caused. Tears of embarrassment begun to coat my irises as I called out for the retreating figure.

“Wait!”

But my plea was ignored by the frantic elf. I scrambled to regain my composure, all thoughts of my harp departed as I raced after my accomplice.

“Elrond, please!”

My foot gave way and I toppled clumsily to the ground with a shriek, throbbing pangs instantly shooting up my leg and the warmth from my tears burning the soft S/T flesh that resided untouched there.

“Why do you avoid touching me?” I wailed. “Am I that repulsive?”

A very audible gasp was followed closely by approaching footsteps. My gaze met Elrond’s as a broken murmur elicited itself from his throat, voice cracking with a pure sorrow that made my heart lurch.

“You were never repulsive, beautiful one.”

Elrond made to wipe my tears away, irises still staring into mine, when, again, he pulled away as if it would scald his soft finger pads if he touched me.

“You lie!” I screamed, the confusion and sadness spent over the past few weeks boiling into anger in my veins. “If I wasn’t as abhorrent as I am to you, you wouldn’t be afraid to touch me.”

The series of hysterical hollers escaping my chest caused tears of his own to fall vehemently down Elrond’s gentle features.

“We can only admire the beauty of the stars because they are far away; any closer, and they would destroy us," Elrond recited as if in a trance.

Suddenly all my blustering fury and crazed acrimony dissipated as Elrond’s words left me speechless.

"Y-you think I would d-destroy you,” I asked, appalled melancholy filling my words.

“You are both the stars and the innocently frail, Y/N,” Elrond murmured, tears still soaking his cheeks as his gazed flickered to the ground. “And I am the reckless fault.

The anguished spasms that assaulted my already weakened heart then were enough to leave me wondering how I wasn’t lying lifeless on the floor.

"Y-you are not a fault to me,” I whined ever so softly, the bewilderment in his eyes evident as he stared disbelievingly into mine.

And in that moment the gaze of pure pining, sensualism and adoration were mirrored between Elrond and my own eyes. “Oh, Y/N, my precious delicacy, come to me,” Elrond cried vociferously as he gathered me passionately into his lap, cradling me with a gentle caution, as if I would shatter if he hugged me to tightly. The delicate pressure that was the placed upon the base of my neck and the lower region of my spine held me closely while both party’s faces were buried within the smooth skin of the others neck. Despite that, my own passion was strained in an attempt to match that of Elrond’s as I buried myself within the silken fabric that rested seamlessly a top his sturdy chest.

When the embrace was broken, Elrond’s kind words attempted to escape his throat, but he only succeeded in opening his mouth before the comments were halted roughly as I pressed my lips amorously to his, fingers tangling into the raven plaits and H/C locks of the other, torrents tearing violently down our faces.

“Don’t you see, hir vuin? I love you, and I will forevermore.”

“But youth is still extensively displayed in your gorgeous features. Why waste your innocence on me?” Elrond asked quietly.

“Because I care not for our age. Love is timeless. It never ceases, nor will it ever,” I explained shyly. “And if you would allow me, our love could outlast even the greatest of romantic tales.”

“And what? Cast aside traditions and decencies that have circulated throughout elven culture for almost as long?” Elrond lamented fearfully.

“Yes,” I stated a sudden strike of confidence and clarity striking me. “If a pair cares not for slander of others, then, and only then, is the love between the pair absolute. It runs straight and true through both hearts and takes both minds by storm. I understand if you seek nothing more than a mutual bond. ‘So be it,’ I’ll say. But my heart’s devotion to thee will never be sated. All that’s left to decide is whether your heart accepts my pleas or denies them altogether. What say you, Lord Elrond Halfelven?”

Elrond eyes brimmed with tears once more, but the tightening grip upon my frame was all the answer I needed. The grin that I yearned for so much, eased my uncertainties and mended my wounds as it tugged at Elrond’s lips. “I vow, Y/N, that our love will be absolute, and will remain so, long after we sail to the land of the undying.”

And with that, Elrond pressed his lips to mine, sealing our new found virtue in the stars.

**Author's Note:**

> First post on a03! This post is also featured on my tumblr, writingsofa-hobbit and on my wattpad, catchingthranduil. Please enjoy! Kudos appreciated!


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